Impulse Turbine with guide vanes

thingiverse

Inspired by the parameterised Wells Turbine posted by Parkinbot (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:224320), here is a parameterised impulse turbine with guide vanes designed to give unidirectional rotation in bi-directional air flows, such as air flows generated by an oscillating water column (OWC). The guide vanes and turbine buckets of this model were inspired by papers in the literature by Antonio Falcao and others. This is my first attempt at an OpenSCAD model, so hopefully it's not too embarrassing! At the start of the code are a number of variables to control the number of buckets and guide vanes, the radius of the turbine, the radius of the inner hole through the assembly, the thickness of the various ribs and rims, the number and size of some cut-outs in the rib of the turbine to reduce weight, and the height of the vanes. There are also three variables which switch 'on or off' the three pieces in the drawing so that they may be individually exported for printing. The profiles of the buckets, guide vanes and guide vane hubs are described as a set of points in the relevant modules, so to change the profiles, you could change these points. Hope this is of use to someone, feel free to use and modify as suits your needs, all I ask is an acknowledgement if you do! Post-Printing